To achieve a healthy lifestyle, adolescents must be physically active and meet physical activity (PA) guidelines. One of the most natural ways of increasing the amount of PA is active commuting (AC) to school. Recent reviews suggest that peer norms have the potential to shape PA during adolescence in particular. Thus, our primary aim was to investigate whether Czech adolescents misperceive their peers' AC behaviors and attitudes towards AC. Our dataset comprised cross-sectional data on 1586 adolescents aged 11-15 years. Basic descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and correlation analyses were used to analyze the data. Regarding traveling to school, 68% of the Czech adolescents in this study are daily active commuters (walking, cycling, or riding a scooter or skateboard). Less than half of the respondents believed that most of their classmates were commuting to school actively almost daily. The students who believed that most of their classmates commuted to school actively had significantly higher chances of being regular active commuters themselves. The results showed that most of the Czech adolescents misperceived the AC norms of their peers. Thus, there could be potential in using a social norms approach aimed at increasing the level of AC in Czech adolescents through targeted interventions.

Department of Health Psychology and Research Methodology Faculty of Medicine P J Safarik University Trieda SNP 1 040 11 Košice Slovakia

Department of Physical Education and Sport Faculty of Science Humanities and Education Technical University of Liberec 461 17 Liberec Czech Republic

Institute of Active Lifestyle Faculty of Physical Culture Palacký University 771 11 Olomouc Czech Republic

See more in PubMed

Poitras V.J., Gray C.E., Borghese M.M., Carson V., Chaput J.P., Janssen I., Katzmarzyk P.T., Pate R.R., Connor Gorber S., Kho M.E., et al. Systematic Review of the Relationships between Objectively Measured Physical Activity and Health Indicators in School-Aged Children and Youth. Appl. Physiol. Nutr. Metab. 2016 doi: 10.1139/apnm-2015-0663. PubMed DOI

Warburton D.E.R., Bredin S.S.D. Health Benefits of Physical Activity: A Systematic Review of Current Systematic Reviews. Curr. Opin. Cardiol. 2017 doi: 10.1097/HCO.0000000000000437. PubMed DOI

McGuire S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. State Indicator Report on Physical Activity, 2014. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2014. Adv. Nutr. 2014;5:762–763. doi: 10.3945/an.114.007211. PubMed DOI PMC

Biddle S.J.H., Gorely T., Stensel D.J. Health-Enhancing Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour in Children and Adolescents. J. Sports Sci. 2004;22:679–701. doi: 10.1080/02640410410001712412. PubMed DOI

Rhodes R.E., Janssen I., Bredin S.S.D., Warburton D.E.R., Bauman A. Physical Activity: Health Impact, Prevalence, Correlates and Interventions. Psychol. Health. 2017;32 doi: 10.1080/08870446.2017.1325486. PubMed DOI

Moore S.C., Lee I.-M., Weiderpass E., Campbell P.T., Sampson J.N., Kitahara C.M., Keadle S.K., Arem H., Berrington de Gonzalez A., Hartge P., et al. Association of Leisure-Time Physical Activity With Risk of 26 Types of Cancer in 1.44 Million Adults. J. Am. Med. Assoc. Intern. Med. 2016;176:816–825. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.1548. PubMed DOI PMC

Biddle S.J.H., Pearson N., Ross G.M., Braithwaite R. Tracking of Sedentary Behaviours of Young People: A Systematic Review. Prev. Med. 2010;51:345–351. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2010.07.018. PubMed DOI

Telama R., Yang X., Leskinen E., Kankaanpää A., Hirvensalo M., Tammelin T., Viikari J.S.A., Raitakari O.T. Tracking of Physical Activity from Early Childhood through Youth into Adulthood. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 2014;46 doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000000181. PubMed DOI

WHO . Global Recommendations on Physical Activity for Health. World Health Organization; Geneva, Switzerland: 2010. PubMed DOI

Piercy K.L., Troiano R.P., Ballard R.M., Carlson S.A., Fulton J.E., Galuska D.A., George S.M., Olson R.D. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. JAMA J. Am. Med. Assoc. 2018 doi: 10.1001/jama.2018.14854. PubMed DOI PMC

2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee . 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Scientific Report. Department of Health and Human Services; Washington, DC, USA: 2018. DOI

Panter J.R., Jones A.P., Van Sluijs E.M.F., Griffin S.J. Attitudes, Social Support and Environmental Perceptions as Predictors of Active Commuting Behaviour in School Children. J. Epidemiol. Community Health. 2010 doi: 10.1136/jech.2009.086918. PubMed DOI PMC

Ghekiere A., Van Cauwenberg J., Carver A., Mertens L., de Geus B., Clarys P., Cardon G., De Bourdeaudhuij I., Deforche B. Pyschosocial Factors Associated with Children’s Cycling for Transport: A Cross-Sectional Moderation Study. Prev. Med. 2016 doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2016.03.001. PubMed DOI

Chillón P., Mandic S. Advances in Transportation and Health. Elsevier; Amsterdam, The Netherlands: 2020. Active Transport to and from School; pp. 267–290. DOI

Chillón P., Evenson K.R., Vaughn A., Ward D.S. A Systematic Review of Interventions for Promoting Active Transportation to School. Int. J. Behav. Nutr. Phys. Act. 2011;8:10. doi: 10.1186/1479-5868-8-10. PubMed DOI PMC

Salway R., Emm-Collison L., Sebire S.J., Thompson J.L., Lawlor D.A., Jago R. The Association of School-Related Active Travel and Active after-School Clubs with Children’s Physical Activity: A Cross-Sectional Study in 11-Year-Old UK Children. Int. J. Behav. Nutr. Phys. Act. 2019;16 doi: 10.1186/s12966-019-0832-3. PubMed DOI PMC

Barranco-Ruiz Y., Guevara-Paz A.X., Ramírez-Vélez R., Chillón P., Villa-González E. Mode of Commuting to School and Its Association with Physical Activity and Sedentary Habits in Young Ecuadorian Students. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2018;15:2704. doi: 10.3390/ijerph15122704. PubMed DOI PMC

Vorlíček M., Rubín L., Dygrýn J., Mitáš J. Does Active Commuting Help Czech Adolescents Meet Health Recommendations for Physical Activity? Tělesná Kult. 2018;40:112–116. doi: 10.5507/tk.2017.005. DOI

Public Health Agency of Canada . Obesity in Canada: A Joint Report from the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Institute for Health Information. Public Health Agency of Canada; Ottawa, ON, Canada: 2011. p. 62.

Molina-García J., García-Massó X., Estevan I., Queralt A. Built Environment, Psychosocial Factors and Active Commuting to School in Adolescents: Clustering a Self-Organizing Map Analysis. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2019;16:83. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16010083. PubMed DOI PMC

Götschi T., Tainio M., Maizlish N., Schwanen T., Goodman A., Woodcock J. Contrasts in Active Transport Behaviour across Four Countries: How Do They Translate into Public Health Benefits? Prev. Med. 2015;74 doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2015.02.009. PubMed DOI PMC

Mandic S., Keller R., García Bengoechea E., Moore A., Coppell K. School Bag Weight as a Barrier to Active Transport to School among New Zealand Adolescents. Children. 2018;5:129. doi: 10.3390/children5100129. PubMed DOI PMC

Pavelka J., Sigmundová D., Hamřík Z., Kalman M., Sigmund E., Mathisen F. Trends in Active Commuting to School among Czech Schoolchildren from 2006 to 2014. Cent. Eur. J. Public Health. 2017;25(Suppl. 1):S21–S25. doi: 10.21101/cejph.a5095. PubMed DOI

Dygrýn J., Mitáš J., Gába A., Rubín L., Frömel K. Changes in Active Commuting to School in Czech Adolescents in Different Types of Built Environment across a 10-Year Period. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2015;12:12988–12998. doi: 10.3390/ijerph121012988. PubMed DOI PMC

Parra-Saldías M., Castro-Piñero J., Paredes A.C., Leal X.P., Martínez X.D., Rodríguez-Rodríguez F. Active Commuting Behaviours from High School to University in Chile: A Retrospective Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2019;16:53. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16010053. PubMed DOI PMC

Bamberg S., Ajzen I., Schmidt P. Choice of Travel Mode in the Theory of Planned Behavior: The Roles of Past Behavior, Habit, and Reasoned Action. Basic Appl. Soc. Psychol. 2003 doi: 10.1207/S15324834BASP2503_01. DOI

Sherwin H., Chatterjee K., Jain J. An Exploration of the Importance of Social Influence in the Decision to Start Bicycling in England. Transp. Res. Part A Policy Pract. 2014 doi: 10.1016/j.tra.2014.05.001. DOI

Di Ciommo F., Comendador J., López-Lambas M.E., Cherchi E., de Dios Ortuzar J. Exploring the Role of Social Capital Influence Variables on Travel Behaviour. Transp. Res. Part A Policy Pract. 2014 doi: 10.1016/j.tra.2014.08.018. DOI

Biggar M. Unpacking the Influence of Social Norms and Past Experience on Commute Mode Choice. J. Behav. Public Adm. 2019 doi: 10.30636/jbpa.21.52. DOI

Rice E.L., Klein W.M.P. Interactions among Perceived Norms and Attitudes about Health-Related Behaviors in U.S. Adolescents. Health Psychol. 2019;38 doi: 10.1037/hea0000722. PubMed DOI PMC

Schultz P.W., Nolan J.M., Cialdini R.B., Goldstein N.J., Griskevicius V. The Constructive, Destructive, and Reconstructive Power of Social Norms: Reprise. Perspect. Psychol. Sci. 2018;13 doi: 10.1177/1745691617693325. PubMed DOI

Miller D.T., Prentice D.A. Changing Norms to Change Behavior. Annu. Rev. Psychol. 2016;67 doi: 10.1146/annurev-psych-010814-015013. PubMed DOI

Klein W.M.P., Rice E.L. Health Cognitions, Decision-Making, and Behavior. In: Suls J., Collins R., Wheeler L., editors. Social Comparison, Judgment, and Behavior. Oxford University Press; Oxford, UK: 2020. pp. 527–574. DOI

Sheeran P., Maki A., Montanaro E., Avishai-Yitshak A., Bryan A., Klein W.M.P., Miles E., Rothman A.J. The Impact of Changing Attitudes, Norms, and Self-Efficacy on Health-Related Intentions and Behavior: A Meta-Analysis. Health Psychol. 2016;35 doi: 10.1037/hea0000387. PubMed DOI

Salvy S.J., de la Haye K., Bowker J.C., Hermans R.C.J. Influence of Peers and Friends on Children’s and Adolescents’ Eating and Activity Behaviors. Physiol. Behav. 2012 doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2012.03.022. PubMed DOI PMC

Sawka K.J., McCormack G.R., Nettel-Aguirre A., Hawe P., Doyle-Baker P.K. Friendship Networks and Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior among Youth: A Systematized Review. Int. J. Behav. Nutr. Physical Act. 2013 doi: 10.1186/1479-5868-10-130. PubMed DOI PMC

Draper C.E., Grobler L., Micklesfield L.K., Norris S.A. Impact of Social Norms and Social Support on Diet, Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour of Adolescents: A Scoping Review. Child Care. Health Dev. 2015;41 doi: 10.1111/cch.12241. PubMed DOI

Dempsey R.C., McAlaney J., Helmer S.M., Pischke C.R., Akvardar Y., Bewick B.M., Fawkner H.J., Guillen-Grima F., Stock C., Vriesacker B., et al. Normative Perceptions of Cannabis Use among European University Students: Associations of Perceived Peer Use and Peer Attitudes with Personal Use and Attitudes. J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs. 2016;77 doi: 10.15288/jsad.2016.77.740. PubMed DOI

Cooke R., Dahdah M., Norman P., French D.P. How Well Does the Theory of Planned Behaviour Predict Alcohol Consumption? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Health Psychol. Rev. 2016;10 doi: 10.1080/17437199.2014.947547. PubMed DOI PMC

Helmer S.M., Mikolajczyk R.T., McAlaney J., Vriesacker B., Van Hal G., Akvardar Y., Guillen-Grima F., Salonna F., Stock C., Dempsey R.C., et al. Illicit Substance Use among University Students from Seven European Countries: A Comparison of Personal and Perceived Peer Use and Attitudes towards Illicit Substance Use. Prev. Med. 2014;67 doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2014.07.039. PubMed DOI

Pischke C.R., Zeeb H., Van Hal G., Vriesacker B., McAlaney J., Bewick B.M., Akvardar Y., Guillén-Grima F., Orosova O., Salonna F., et al. A Feasibility Trial to Examine the Social Norms Approach for the Prevention and Reduction of Licit and Illicit Drug Use in European University and College Students. BMC Public Health. 2012;12 doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-12-882. PubMed DOI PMC

Baker C.W., Little T.D., Brownell K.D. Predicting Adolescent Eating and Activity Behaviors: The Role of Social Norms and Personal Agency. Health Psychol. 2003;22 doi: 10.1037/0278-6133.22.2.189. PubMed DOI

Kim J., Dunn E., Rellinger K., Robertson-Wilson J., Eys M. Social Norms and Physical Activity in American and Canadian Contexts: A Scoping Review. Int. Rev. Sport Exerc. Psychol. 2019 doi: 10.1080/1750984X.2017.1354229. DOI

Vorlíček M., Baďura P., Mitáš J., Rubín L., Banátová K., Kolarčik P., Vašíčková J., Salonna F. Czech Adolescents Adopt Distorted Social Norms Regarding Saturday Physical Activity. Tělesná Kult. 2020;42:48–54. doi: 10.5507/tk.2020.003. DOI

Dempsey R.C., McAlaney J., Bewick B.M. A Critical Appraisal of the Social Norms Approach as an Interventional Strategy for Health-Related Behavior and Attitude Change. Front. Psychol. 2018 doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02180. PubMed DOI PMC

Helmer S.M., Muellmann S., Zeeb H., Pischke C.R. Development and Evaluation of the Efficacy of a Web-Based ‘Social Norms’-Intervention for the Prevention and Reduction of Substance Use in a Cluster-Controlled Trial Conducted at Eight German Universities. BMC Public Health. 2016;16 doi: 10.1186/s12889-016-2898-z. PubMed DOI PMC

Currie C., Inchley J., Molcho M., Lenzi M., Veselska Z., Wild F., editors. Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) Study Protocol: Background, Methodology and Mandatory Items for the 2017/18 Survey. Child and Adolescent Health Research Unit (CAHRU); St. Andrews, UK: 2018.

Cerin E., Conway T., Smith M., Veitch J., Cain K., Salonna F., Siqueira Reis R., Javier M., Hinckson E., Manan W., et al. Development and Validation of the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale for Youth across Six Continents. Int. J. Behav. Nutr. Phys. Act. 2019;16:1–16. doi: 10.1186/s12966-019-0890-6. PubMed DOI PMC

Mitáš J., Dygrýn J., Rubín L., Křen F., Vorlíček M., Nykodým J., Řepka E., Bláha L., Suchomel A., Feltlová D., et al. Multifactorial research on built environment, active lifestyle and physical fitness in Czech adolescents: Design and methods of the study. Tělesná Kult. 2018;41 doi: 10.5507/tk.2018.002. DOI

Fairclough S.J., Christian D.L., Saint-Maurice P.F., Hibbing P.R., Noonan R.J., Welk G.J., Dixon P.M., Boddy L.M. Calibration and Validation of the Youth Activity Profile as a Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Surveillance Tool for English Youth. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2019;16:3711. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16193711. PubMed DOI PMC

Jakubec L., Dygrýn J., Šimůnek A., Frömel K. Validity of the original algorithm for assessing physical activity and sedentary behavior from the Youth Activity Profile in Czech children and adolescents. Tělesná Kult. 2019;42 doi: 10.5507/tk.2020.006. DOI

Saint-Maurice P.F., Welk G.J. Validity and Calibration of the Youth Activity Profile. PLoS ONE. 2015;10:e0143949. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143949. PubMed DOI PMC

Perkins W. In: The Social Norms Approach to Preventing School and College Age Substance Abuse. 1st ed. Perkins H.W., editor. Jossey-Bass; San Francisco, CA, USA: 2003.

Spencer R.A., Rehman L., Kirk S.F.L. Understanding Gender Norms, Nutrition, and Physical Activity in Adolescent Girls: A Scoping Review. Int. J. Behav. Nutr. Phys. Act. 2015 doi: 10.1186/s12966-015-0166-8. PubMed DOI PMC

Chillón P., Ortega F.B., Ruiz J.R., Sjöström M., Veidebaum T., Oja L., Mäestu J. Active Commuting to School in Children and Adolescents: An Opportunity to Increase Physical Activity and Fitness. Scand. J. Public Health. 2010;38 doi: 10.1177/1403494810384427. PubMed DOI

Bere E., van der Horst K., Oenema A., Prins R., Brug J. Socio-Demographic Factors as Correlates of Active Commuting to School in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Prev. Med. 2008;47 doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2008.06.019. PubMed DOI

Carver A., Timperio A.F., Crawford D.A. Young and Free? A Study of Independent Mobility among Urban and Rural Dwelling Australian Children. J. Sci. Med. Sport. 2012;15 doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2012.03.005. PubMed DOI

Pavelka J., Sigmundová D., Hamřík Z., Kalman M. Active Transport among Czech School-Aged Children. Acta Gymnica. 2012;42:17–26. doi: 10.5507/ag.2012.014. DOI

Bandura A. Social Cognitive Theory in Cultural Context. Appl. Psychol. 2002 doi: 10.1111/1464-0597.00092. DOI

Wally C.M., Cameron L.D. A Randomized-Controlled Trial of Social Norm Interventions to Increase Physical Activity. Ann. Behav. Med. 2017 doi: 10.1007/s12160-017-9887-z. PubMed DOI

How Czech Adolescents Perceive Their Physical Activity

Surveillance of physical activity and sedentary behaviour in czech children and adolescents: a scoping review of the literature from the past two decades